Categories: 2012 Spring TrainingNewsPosts

Worley Rocked by Twins, Phils Lose 11-7

Luna and Podsednik are vying for a spot.

Not the way Vance Worley wants to wind down his spring. It’s been up and down and this last start represents the lowest depths possible.

Worley pitched four innings giving up 11 runs, six earned, in the Phillies 11-7 loss to Minnesota. Now, again, how much stock do you put in a spring training game? If you put a lot in what is likely to be his second-to-last outing before real games begin, than this is something to look at. Not having seen what Worley was throwing firsthand, it’s hard to tell if he was still working on some things.

Side note: it’s funny how ST works. If a guy is lights out, you’ll say, hell it’s just spring training. But I get the feeling more people put stock in bad starts rather than good ones. So cynical.

Anyway, Hector Luna is certainly making a case to stick around as the last bench bat. He hit another home run today and there is some chatter on the interwebs today that Charlie Manuel will have a tough choice to make with him. Luna played some left field, third base, first base, and now, second base. If he’s able to play those positions seamlessly, he could provide a nice change of pace. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there is a reason Hector Luna is a journeyman.

In just over one full season’s worth of plate appearances (806 to be exact), Luna actually has fairly respectable numbers: .265 avg, 13 home runs, 86 RBI, .705 OPS.

For those of you who are fans of Carlos Ruiz batting high in the order, he did so today. Ruiz was slotted in the two-spot and went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Pat Gallen

Pat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.